Autos Fans

Is a skid plate necessary on a Volkswagen New Beetle?—by jenni

The plastic shield that goes under the front of my car (I think it’s called a skid plate) has come off my 2001 VW Beetle twice in the past 2 years. The first time, we got stuck in sand and it snapped off when someone pulled us out. I drove around for months without it, and no damage was done. The dealership replaced it (it was $600!) and said it was really important, protected the underside of the car, I shouldn’t drive around without it, etc.Last month it broke off again, and this time I didn’t get the car stuck in anything. The plastic around some of the bolts cracked and it just broke off.

My uncle who is a mechanic said the car is fine without it as long as the radiator hose doesn’t hang below the bumper, which it doesn’t.

If you are a mechanic and/or have experience with VWs, do I need to have this part replaced? What could happen if I don’t?

Best Answer —by fly2sxm

You are asking for it if you don’t fix it. A damaged oil pan and pump will cost a lot more without that plate. Personal experience it came off, hit a drop off from pavement to dirt and smashed my pan and pump. 2K! Didn’t even know I lost the plate until after the fact. If your car is lowered, slow down on inclines, careful with any driveways, etc. If you lost it twice, you must be striking something on a regular basis. If something is cracked underneath, complain to the VW Service Manager that you have had this fixed twice now. They honor repairs of non-driver-negligence. Good luck!